I was eager to test the new Green Series Life Cells from MaxAmps.com. They feature LiFePO4 technology, which makes for a safe pack. MaxAmps.com says they will not catch fire or explode from over-charging. The specs of these packs are impressive, so let’s have a look.

- 1000+ usable cycles

- 30C constant

- 60C burst

- Water-sealed for all-weather protection

- Low-voltage cutoff not required

- Exceeds IATA safety standards

- Environmentally friendly

- 15C charge rate

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the 15C charge rate. The 4500mAh packs I was sent can be charged at up to 67.5 amps! Unfortunately, my best charger is only capable of charging at 20 amps, so I hooked up the 2-cell pack and charged it at 20 amps. In less than 20 minutes, the pack was complete. That was on balance charge mode. Once I had fully drained the pack, I put it back on the charger, this time it took about 15 minutes. Once you balance-charge your packs, after the first or second time the packs stay at the correct voltage and will charge faster. Fifteen min for a 4500 pack is insane; I was very happy that I could really quick- charge these packs.

To test the packs, I took them to my local hobby shop on race day. I tested them in the stock Traxxas Slash class that allows a battery with a voltage of 7.4 and less. This year I haven’t done well racing in the class and hoped that the slightly lower voltage of the Life pack might help me (6.6 versus 7.4 volts). On the track the Slash handled well; it didn’t spin out nor did I crash as often. It was much more controllable. I noticed on the straightaway that with stock gearing and the Life pack that I was at the same speed or slightly slower than the fast guys. At the end of the day, I finished on the podium in third place out of 17 guys! I was extremely happy with this finish, as I haven’t been on the podium since last year. The Life packs definitely held their own; they are light yet put out a ton of power. I had no issues with them at all. After winning the B-main, I tossed a pack on the charger at 20 amps, and it was charged in 5 minutes (there was still some juice left in the pack). Overall, with the slightly lower voltage of these packs, I was able to drive much better. I think these batteries will be perfect in stock class racing as well as running two of them in larger truggies and monster trucks. And you don’t have to worry about low-voltage cutoff: these cells are safe and can be fully discharged time and time again without any effect on performance.

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